Auxiliary air inlet



Patented Aug. 9', 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THEODOBE HOBSCROFT, F PERTH AHBOY, NEW JERSEY, ABSIGNOB Ol' ELEVE!- TWENTIETHS T0 JOHN L. ICDVOWALL, OF PERTH AIBOY, NEW .Tm

AUIILIABY AIB INLET Application lled December 7, 1988. Serial lo. 158,158.

This invention relates to fuel mixing devices adopted to regulate the quality of the fuel mixture admitted to the intake manifold of internal combustion engines, and has for 5,* an object the provision of a novel device adapted to be inserted between the carburetor and intake manifold of an engine to automatically provide an efficient fuel mixture under various engine speeds.

10 Various devices operating upon the difference in suction pressure are at present in use for supplying a variable quantity of air to the stream of fuel mixture passing from the carburetor to the intake manifold. In most instances such devices are equipped with spring pressed ball valves or other means which are adapted to remain closed when the engine suction pressure is low and to open up and admit air when the suction pressure is high, the assumption being that the suction pressure is low during starting and high durlng running at normal and high speed.

In practice, however, the greater suction pressure occurs at starting or during slow speeds. Consequently, suction operated ball valveslwill open to admit air when the engine is being started, the very time when air is least desired, because a rich fuel mixture is more conducive to quick and easy starting and eicient slow speed running than a mixture containing a considerable quantity of air.

In all devices provided with air valves adapted to be operated solely by the suction pressure of the engine during various engine speeds this disadvantage of admitting air at starting or at low speed is present because valves constructed to open up at high suction pressure will always open up under the high suction pressure of the engine at starting or at low speed and permit an influx of air.

To overcome this disadvantage and still provide a device which will properly vary the quality of the fuel mixture during various engine speeds, I have constructed a fuel mixing device which is adapted to admit no air until the engine has been heated up to some extent, as when it is running at normal or high speed. When the engine is cold, as during starting, no air will be supplied to the manifold, which constitutes in eil'ect a suction'pressure conduit and the engine will receive a rich fuel mixture facilitating quick and easy starting. After the engine has been running for a short time and has become heated, the fuel mixing device will rmit a quantity of air to pass into the manifIdll/d In carrying out my invention I may provide my fuel mixing device with one or more air valves the casings of which are of a material having one coeliicient of expansion and the valve members of a material having a different coefficient of expansion. Thus, I may make the casin of brass or other metal having a high coe cient of expansion and provi e a ball of nickel tungsten or similar material having a very low coeilicient of expansion. Moreover, I may make the ball of such a size that it will snugly fit the casin when cold, thereby shutting ofi' all su ply 0% air. When the casing becomes heate 1t will expand and release the ball, which will then be free to be actuated by the suction pressure of the engine to admit air as desired.

, As the engine increases in temperature due to an increase in speed after starting, the valve casing, being exposed to this heat, will expand a proportional amount while the ball will retain substantially its normal size.' The air passage will consequently increase in size with the temperature and even though` the suction pressure of the engine decreases as the speed is increased, an increasing amount of air will be admitted to provide an economical and efficient fuel mixture for high speeds.

By' selecting the proper size of air port in the valve casing it is therefore possible to provide a fuel mixing device which will deliver air to the engine manifold in quantities which can be easily assimilated and which will provide for eilicient operation of the engine.

To insure the proper mixing of the admitted air with the stream of fuel mixture coming from the carburetor I may also provide my device with a rotating fan or blade so formed that it will thoroughly mix the incoming air with the fuel stream. I may also provide this fan or blade member`with a plurality of holes which upon the rotation of the fan will act to break up an vortex that may be formed by the inrush o air into f the fuel stream.

In order that a better understanding may be had of my invention, reference is made to the accom anying drawing, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a ragmental sectional view showing my device in position in the fuel line of an engine.

Fig. 9. is a side view of my device.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my device.

Considering the invention more in detail in connection with the drawing, the body A of my device is a flat member similar in shape to the flanges usually formed on a carburetor and intake manifold. Located centrally of the body is the opening I of substantially the same size as the fuel sage from the carburetor to the mani old. The body Ais further provided with suitable holes through which may be passed the bolts holding the device in place between the carburetor and the manifold.

Mounted on an arm K projecting inward from the body A into the opening I is a two bladed fan C secured by the screw B. The fan is but Slightly smaller in diameter than the opening I in order that as much as possible of the fuel stream may be agitated, and is provided in each blade with a perforation L. The presence of the holes L increases the mixing effect of the fan and also breaks up the vortex caused by the rapid rotation o the otherwise s olid blades.

Attached to the body A by means of conduits H communicating with the openingI are two temperature sensitive air valves D. As shown in F ig.,1, one end of each valve casing is closed by a screw cap E and the other end is open to the atmosphere through the port G. Within the casing and adapted to move up and down therein to either open or close the port G is a free ball F.

The casing D and cap E are formed of brass or other metal having a high coeflicient of expansion and the ball F is formed of a metal having a very low coeicient of expansion, suchas nickel-tungsten. The diameter of the ball F is such that it fits tightly in the chamber in the casing D at normal temperature, and it is only when the casing expands under the action of the engine heat that the ball is loosened and permitted to move in the chamber.

In operation, the suction pressure of the engine causes the fan C to rotate at a high rate of speed, thereby thoroughly agitating the fuel mixture supplied by the carburetor. lVhile the engine is cold, the ball F will remain seated over the port G and being fitted tightly in the chamber of the valve D will not be actuated by the suction pressure of the engine in spite of the fact that the chamber is in communication with the intake manifold through the conduit H.

However, when the engine becomes heated, the casing expands and frees the ball which then moves upward under the action of the suction pressure of the engine and uncovers the port G. As the port G is uncovered air is drawn into the valve past the ball and discharged at the periphery of the opening I where it is immediately churned up by the fan C and thoroughly mixed with the fuel coming from the carburetor.

As the engine becomes hotter the casing expands further and the space between the walls of the valve chamber andthe ball becomes greater so that more air is drawn through. This increase in air space compensates lor the partial closing of the port G caused by the dropping down of the ball F under the lower suction pressure at high speed so that a sufficient quantity of air will be admitted to enable efficient and economical operationof the motor at speeds greater than normal.

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention it is to be linderstood that various modifications and changes may be made in the device as illustrated and described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A temperature sensitive air inlet valve y comprising a cylindrical casing having a high coeicient of expansion. said casing having an air port in one end thereof, and a spherical valve member having a lower co.

one coeicient of expansion and a valve.

member having a different coeicient of expansion, said casing being formed to contain the valve member and being pro-` vided with a valve seat, said valve member being so mounted within the casing that it normally engages the valve seat and prevents the passage of air through the casing, but is adapted to be moved from said seat by the suction pressure in said conduit for admitting air when the mechanism issuhjected to a predetermined temperature, said casing and valve member being so proportioned that the valve member is prevented from being moved from the valve seat due to engagement with the casing when the l mechanism is subjected to temperatures below the predetermined temperature.

3. A'temperature-sensitive air inlet valve adapted to be inserted in a suction pressure conduit, comprising a casing having a high coeicient of expansion and a valve having a lower coeicient of expansion, said casing bein formed to contain the valve member and eing rovided with a valve seat, said 5 valve mem er being so mounted in the casing that it normally enga es the valve seat and prevents the passage o air therethrough, but -1s adapted to be moved from said seat by the suction ressure in said conduit for admitting air W en the casing is subjected to predetermined temperature, said casing and valve member being so proportioned that the valve member is prevented from being moved from the valve seat due to engagement with the casing when the casing 1s subjected to temperatures below the predetermined tempera-ture.

4. A compensating valve mechanism for controlling an ingress of air to internal com- 20 bustion engines and the like, comprising a body having a portion provided with a port, and a valve member arranged within said portion and urged by its Weight toward a position to close the port, said body being formed of material havinf a high coeicient of expansion and said va ve member being formed of material having a lower coeiiicient of expansion, the portion and valve member being so proportioned with respect to each other that the valve member is tightly engaged by the portion when subjected to temperatures below the normal operating temperatures of internal combustion engines, so that the valve will be maintained 1n position to close the port due to the weight thereof and the engagement by the portion under such tem rature conditions, but may be freely move to open the port when subjected to the normal operating temperatures D of internal combustion engines, whereby said means is adapted to be moved to effecten opening of the port under the last-mentioned temperature conditions for permitting a passage of air through the mechanism.

5. Valve mechanism adapted to control the passage of fluid in res nse to a difference in pressure on opposlte sides thereof,

comprising a body portlon provided with a v port, means constantly urged by a substantially uniform force to close the port and ada ted to be urged to open said port by a. pre etermined dierence in pressure, said means and said body having different coetlicients of expansion whereby said means is locked in place throughout a predetermined temperature range.

6. Valve mechanism adapted to control the passage of fluid in response to a difference 1n pressure on opposite sides thereof, comprising a body portion provided with a port, means constantly urged by a substantially ,uniform force to close the port and adapted to be urged to open said port by a predetermined diiference in pressure, said means hav- 05 ing a lower coetlicient of expansion than said body whereby said means is locked in place throughout a predetermined temperature range.

7. In combination with the intake conduit vof an internal combustion engine, a valve 

